Drabbles Make the World Go Round
by Tatiana Winter
Summary: This is the place where I will post all drabbles/ one-shots that I complete.  These might be in response to prompts given by other writers, contest winners, memes, or just random ideas that come into my mind.
1. A Sharp Interlude

**Author's Note**: My Halloween Contest entry for FlurryDancingFlames's contest. I have no lame excuses for this, it just... popped into my head. I role play an Axel on Tumblr, and it was his high school AU version that decided to fall down into that hole, landing him here in Halloweentown. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my all-time favorite movies, so when this scene slipped into my mind, I had to write it! Please, let me know what you think. I am working on the next chapter of my fanfic, but life/school/stuff has decided to eat my inspiration and time alive with gravy. So I'm trying, guys. It's coming...!

**Word Count**: 2045

**Fandom**: Kingdom Hearts

**Rating**: PG for this first one, but will this continue?

**Pairing**: Axel/Roxas

**Location**: Halloweentown

**Background**: This is AU Axel/Roxas because that's how it decided to form itself in my head. Kk?

**Disclaimer**: I do not, nor have I ever owned/will I ever own Axel or Roxas. I am also not responsible for the love that is this couple. It's AkuRoku, or more accurately, RokuAku, and if you keep reading it's at your own risk. ;)

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><p>Axel was reasonably sure that he'd never had a drop of alcohol in his life. Not that he hadn't been curious about trying it of course, but the opportunity had yet to come up. He was also reasonably sure that he'd never done drugs before. The closest he'd come to any of that mess was that time he'd accidentally overdosed on Red Bull, and his teacher had complained that he was acting like someone on Speed. The only reason he hadn't been sent to get tested being that he'd still had the cans in his backpack to take home and add to the recycling pile.<p>

Really, he was a pretty clean-cut, straight edge sort of guy if one didn't get too hung up on the fact that he just liked the color black. He was a bit of a loner, too, which made him a prime suspect for all things that might possibly plague teenagers in school, and his teachers seemed just as happy to pick on him for the way he dressed as the other students did. Maybe one of them had put something into his soda during lunch, or maybe he'd fallen asleep in class and someone had slipped something in his mouth. It had to be that because while he was reasonably sure that he'd never taken any illegal substances, he still found himself in a fountain, in the middle of a dark and creepy town, surrounded by strange creatures, one of which was definitely a skeleton.

"It's been a long time since we had anyone new…" a high pitched voice behind him said.

"What is he," asked another voice, a pitch higher. "What is he?"

"Something completely new," chimed another.

"I won't be the youngest one here, anymore," a scratchy sounding boyish voice added.

"What is he," a growling voice to his left asked, shortly before a large, furry paw prodded his arm.

"Hey," Axel protested, and watched in amazement as, it could only be, a werewolf raised two very intimidating paws defensively in the air. Were they afraid of him?

"Well, it's very strange," the skeleton began, before opening his long, thin arms to Axel and everyone around him, "but we should welcome him with open arms, claws, fangs, and anything else we have. Roxas, come here!"

Axel watched in amazement as a masked figure in the shape of another boy bounded into his peripheral vision, and skidded to a stop in front of the skeleton. "Yes, Jack?"

The skeleton, whose name was apparently Jack, gestured towards him with one long, skeletal arm, causing Axel to flinch back automatically. "I'm putting you in charge of showing him around."

"Oh," the boy called Roxas exclaimed, rubbing his gloved hands together. "Should I give him a tour of the pumpkin patch? Show him the graveyard? Take him to see the vampire coffins? Pay a visit to Oogey Boogey's lair?"

"Yes, yes, all of that. I know you won't disappoint me; now off you go," skeleton Jack commanded, and the next thing Axel knew he was being pulled free of the fountain by a surprisingly strong hand.

Once he was upright he was surprised to find that there were only a few, er… creatures here that were taller than him, while the rest were easily small enough to come up to his knees or his waist. He wasn't given time to compare fully, however, because as soon as he was on his feet he was being tugged out of the circle and towards what looked like a frighteningly dark forest. He could hear the commotion dying down behind him, and the fading voice of Jack trying to get things under control.

"Now listen everyone! We only have three days left until Halloween, so let's get back to…" but in a surprisingly short period of time the trees around them swallowed the noise from that strange little town's center, and Axel was alone with this Roxas character. He felt a tiny chill touch his skin as he looked around him, still being hauled forward by a persistent smaller being who didn't seem interested in stopping or in conversation. When the tall, lanky red head noticed one of the trees leering at him, he decided that examining the back of Roxas's head was far more prudent than looking around.

Not that this whole thing wasn't cool, if it was real, quite the contrary. Halloween was Axel's favorite holiday, and he would've given anything in the world to experience something like this place as a small boy… but, at the moment, he just felt like he'd gone completely insane.

What the hell was going on? Maybe, his parents had lied to him when they said that things like Santa Claus and the Boogey Man weren't real. Or perhaps he had simply ended up in hell for being gay. Little odd, really, since he didn't even believe in… he shook his head almost violently from side-to-side, dispelling those thoughts. It didn't matter. Surely this was a dream, and he would wake up tomorrow morning back in his bed like every other lousy day of his life, get ready to go to his school, which was his living hell, and prepare to survive another day before going home and to bed, only to start the whole process all over again the next morning. The thing was, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go home…

Roxas continued to pull him along without a word, heading in the direction of some clearing that he could sort of make out ahead. The shorter, er… boy, creature, thing was stronger than he looked because he hadn't paused once, and, though Axel wasn't fighting against him, the smaller boy was pretty much hauling him the whole way.

"So, where are we going exactly," Axel finally managed to ask, though only after swallowing twice to get enough moisture into his mouth to form a coherent thought.

"Oogey Boogey's place," came Roxas's scratchy reply. "You'll like him."

"How do you know," Axel mumbled, but the blond seemed to miss that as he continued to tug them both along.

Silence engulfed them both for a few moments, and a short time later the taller of the two found that he could make out a little house in the clearing up ahead by the light of that odd shaped moon that he couldn't quite make out above the trees. Suddenly, he felt a quivering sensation sort of like panic taking over his middle, and that was when he finally responded to the whole situation.

Unfortunately for Axel, his first impulse was not to run or fight but to shout, and to his great embarrassment he did so at the top of his lungs, tugging at the arm pulling him with all of his might. The next thing he knew they were rolling around on the earthy, forest floor, Roxas tugging one way and him pulling the other.

When his air finally ran out, the lanky boy with red hair began to cough, the dirt covering them both seeping into the air he was trying to catch hold of, and down into his lungs, as a result. When the two boys finally broke apart, the smaller of the two looked up at Axel with large blue eyes he hadn't noticed before.

"What was that for," Roxas complained as he sat up, using his hand to brush away the dirt that had sullied his once nice black cloak.

Instinctively, his own long limbs carried him away from the smaller boy as quickly as he could crab walk, though as he was keeping his eyes on the blond it wasn't long before an unseen tree stopped his escape. Those had been the sharpest fangs Axel had ever seen, and that glint in the blue, moonlit eyes had not struck him as friendly just then. Roxas was on top of him in a flash however, leaning over him with a terrifying grin lifting his pretty lips.

"I-I dunno," Axel finally stammered out in response. "I j-just... had to."

He could feel the blond's warm breath on his skin as they both stared at one another for a moment in response to that, but he practically jumped out of his skin when after a long moment of silence a booming laugh filled the wood around them. Roxas was laughing at him, clutching his stomach and doubling over until his forehead rested on one of Axel's shoulders. Considering those teeth, Axel did not exactly consider this to be an improvement, and he held his breath trying to steady the rhythm of his heart before it got the attention of the blond in his lap.

Perhaps it was the strangeness of the situation or the fact that he felt as though he'd gone crazy, but it wasn't until that moment that he realized that there was in fact a very attractive boy in his lap. Not only was this boy rather nice to look at, vampire or not (at least that's what Axel assumed he was based on the teeth), but he was sitting right up against Axel's chest. So much for controlling his heart-rate, because all it took was that one realization to shatter every ounce of self-control the lanky human boy had mustered.

Everything might have been fine without that realization. Axel might have gone on to meet Oogey Boogey, see the vampire's coffins, and whatever else it was that Jack the skeleton had asked Roxas to show him; he might have. However, the moment that Axel's heart began to pound in his chest, blood rushing to the surface of his skin in a type of blush that only attraction or embarrassment could induce, it was all over.

The laughter stopped abruptly. Then, Axel felt the blond's head snap up, nose close to his neck, and the cold air rush past his skin as the vampire sniffed at his skin. He froze, breath catching in his throat as a smiling voice rose up to his ears.

"Yeah," Roxas said, words coming out slowly and delayed. "You'll get over that... feeling. Happens all the time on the way to Oogey Boogey's place. Little pangs of panic just start... sneaking in." He practically sang the last sentence, teasing as his fingers tapped up Axel's neck as though trying to imitate the movements of a spider.

"O-oh," Axel stuttered, taking a deep breath, but, before he could even think of anything else coherent, Roxas's face was suddenly in full view, looking him over carefully.

"He didn't tell me you were human," the blond practically sang. "I wonder what this means... an early birthday present, perhaps. An early HALLOWEEN present, even!"

The blond was talking to himself now, still sitting on Axel's lap, looking at him, but still talking about him as though he wasn't there listening to every word being spoken. The taller of the two inhaled to protest, complain, or do something, but that was the very moment that Roxas's hand found his throat.

Axel gasped as fingers cold as ice held his head in place against the tree he was leaning on, mouth still open as the blond vampire looked into his eyes. The blue eyes that observed him tilted, first one way and then the other, and a slow smile began to slide its way back up those pale lips.

"Well, you're here with me for a reason, ha? Let's make the most of your time here," he said, leaning forward.

"Are you going to kill me," Axel finally choked out, heart pounding so hard he could barely hear Roxas's answer.

"No. No, you're too lovely to waste on death," the blond purred. "You'll sleep in the coffin next to mine, unless... that is... you want to share one when you recover."

And with that, Axel watched as those blue eyes focused on his neck, lowering until all he could see was the top of Roxas's spiky hair. The next moment, he felt a cool breath on his neck, and he shivered as cold lips brushed his skin, knowing that whatever happened next this might be his last moment as a human being. _Well,_ he thought, gasping as the teeth punctured his skin, _I'm not sure I want to go home._


	2. Sunset

**Author's Note: **So, I did this in response to a Sunset Contest on DeviantArt. I don't know... I was originally going to write them both in Wonderland for this, but then the idea of them being on a ship decided to flutter across my mind, instead. It's terrible, I know, but it's the best I could manage with school and homework looming over me every moment of the day. ;)

I hope some of you enjoy it anyway, though.

**Word Count**: 982

**Rating**: PG for now, but I doubt it will continue for long.

**Pairing**: Axel/Roxas

**Location**: Pirates of the Caribbean World; on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Axel, Roxas, or Pirates of the Caribbean... I just love them. ^-^

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><p>The sun glinted off of the water in every direction, flitting to and from the ship's hull like fireflies playing touch tag, loud creaking noises echoing across the water as the large wooden vessel sailed on. It had been going smoothly, the wind catching the sails in all the right ways and tugging them in the right direction with little fuss, and everything was as it should be… except that they were lost.<p>

"I told you we shouldn't have gone below in the middle of the day, Axel," Roxas shouted across the deck.

Above deck, steering the ship, stood Axel with a confident and unworried look upon his face, and when he heard Roxas's words, he couldn't help but to smirk. "We're not lost."

"Oh really," the blond retorted. "When was the last time you saw any markers? We should have seen land by now!"

Axel rolled his eyes. This particular conversation had been happening on repeat ever since they'd returned to the deck, both with particularly satisfied grins on their faces, to find that they had been sailing completely in the wrong direction for an undetermined amount of time. Whose fault it was had never been sorted out, but it had been obvious from Roxas's expression that Axel would be taking that particular blame whether or not it had actually been his fault because of the fact that he had been the one to suggest that they take a little break in the middle of the day.

Well, it wasn't his fault that Roxas had been sweating so much he'd pulled off his shirt, and it wasn't his fault that this particular blond had then proceeded to tie down the mast, showing off his rippling arm muscles to his admiring green-eyed gaze. It also wasn't his fault that a particular need had risen insistently in his trousers, nor was it his particular fault that he had a way of kissing Roxas that made the blond just as needy.

Needless to say, they'd both agreed, though perhaps next time they should try doing it on the deck to avoid an argument of this sort during the aftermath. It didn't matter. Things would calm down once Axel found their bearings, but with the sun setting so fast he wasn't sure he could do it before morning. He didn't exactly fancy sleeping alone tonight. It could get pretty cold this far out...

Roxas continued to yell at him from below, and he continued to watch his lover with an interested eye, even though they'd already satiated that particular craving earlier. He wasn't keeping a weathered eye on the horizon, so he wasn't paying attention when the object they were looking for began to bob into and out of the corner of his vision. Really, it wasn't until the blond threw something his direction rather hard, and Axel was made to dodge the dangerously heavy metal object that he noticed the sun was setting a bit early.

In fact, the light shouldn't be hitting the water for at least a few more ticks from his pocket watch; not that it was usually on time these days. Water and gears never seemed to get along very well.

He glanced up and away from his angry shipmate, which earned him an unseen scowl from the frustrated blond below him, and while Axel's eyes were widening with discovery an angry Roxas was stomping up the stairs to smack his lover for ignoring his frustrated tirade. Once he was close enough to reach the distracted red head, the shorter man swung his arm back with the intention of smacking Axel hard across the face, but his arm was caught in midair.

Without even glancing down at Roxas, Axel said, "Look."

The blond's first instinct was to growl, struggling to pull his arm free so that he could take another swing at his lover, but when the red head didn't turn around to spar with him he finally paused. Following that green eyed gaze, he turned his own head to see what Axel was looking at. There on the horizon was an oddly shaped shadow nearly hidden by the bright rays of the sun that shown around it, and, though it made his eyes water to look at, Roxas found himself unable to pull his gaze from the tiny, nearly hidden island.

"We found it," he breathed, stumbling sideways into Axel, a wave rocking the ship as his knees stiffened in surprise.

He was caught easily by long arms that were definitely stronger than they looked, and he finally tore his gaze away from the horizon to look up at the red head. Green eyes met his with an easy, almost 'I-told-you-so' glint lighting them, but Axel just nodded. For a moment, they stood like that, looking at one another, one in the arms of the other before the realization that they needed to get moving finally reached them.

They broke apart in an instant, each shouting orders at the other.

"Don't lose that spot on the horizon," shouted Roxas, as he bounded down the stairs.

"Tie down the mast," shouted Axel. "We don't want to lose that wind!"

"Head straight for that island," Roxas added.

"The sun's almost gone," Axel finished.

It wasn't long, however, before the light they had been sailing by began to vanish completely, and they had to admit that they wouldn't make it before sunset. There was a pause, both looking in the other's direction, and without needing to speak they both made the same decision: full stop.

The sun would rise in the morning, lighting the sight of a beautiful island that few people had ever discovered, and full, they were both pretty sure, of hidden treasure. That discovery would have to wait for the morning, however, but at least tonight Axel knew he wouldn't have to sleep in his cold cabin bed alone.


	3. Logic Dictates the mind rebels

**Author's Note**: So... it was suggested to me this idea that one of my AU RPs be a polyamorous relationship between Axel, Roxas, and Zexion. Well, I got to thinking about that, and began wondering how exactly Axel and Zexion would have met... and this is what happened. Hope you like it!

**Word Count**: 541

**Disclaimer**: Not my characters… don't make me smack you for being ridiculous. ;)

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><p>Zexion didn't exactly consider himself lucky, though he wasn't down on his lot in life, either. Really, he was more or less content to do exactly what he had been doing, which was striving for something grander. A degree; a reason to get the fuck out of this shit-hole town, and move on with his life somewhere where there were people like him. He was sick and tired of the dull-minded, closed-off feeling of this place, and, though he hadn't chosen to go away for college as a result of his mother's wishes, the goal to get as far away from this place as possible was still set firmly in his mind.<p>

Of course, he hadn't thought much about that since he'd met Axel.

That night had been more or less a blur. When had the suave, over-dressed red-head crashed the party? Surely, he hadn't been there when Zexion had first arrived, sober and looking for something to fix that problem. He would have noticed those green eyes, and the calm way that the other man sat amongst them as though he belonged and yet judged everyone around him. He would have noticed because his own blue eyes delved into the scenes that surrounded his everyday life to do just that…

Yet, there this man sat, calmly downing some venomous liquid that must have messed him up as badly as Zexion's drinks had unbalanced him.

The night had been a blur. How had they started talking, what was the reason they'd started making-out in the first place; when had they rushed out of that place to find someplace private? He couldn't remember, and by the gods did he ever want to!

"_Did they hurt," he remembered asking, sliding one gentle finger over an upside-down teardrop tattoo on one side of Axel's face._

"_What the fuck do you think," had been Axel's response before he'd grabbed hold of the hand, pinning it down above Zexion's head._

He remembered being silenced roughly by Axel's lips, and being made to forget all inquiries by the green eyed man's bony hips grinding into his own. It hadn't been gentle, but then he hadn't wanted that. What he had wanted was for Axel to stay when the moaning, the writhing, and the ruckus had ended, but he'd fallen asleep and found no sign of Axel upon waking the next morning with the kind of hang-over that made suicide seem like a worthy option.

Pining after someone who'd disappeared was illogical, but his subconscious didn't seem to know that because the dreams wouldn't go away. He thought about Axel at least once per day since that night, waking up every morning with the memory of those sharp, green eyes locked onto his.

He'd gone on with his life, attending classes and showing up for work as though nothing had happened, but everything had changed within him. He wondered what happened to Axel; would he ever see the other man, again? And after all that had happened, why, by all that was coherent and rational, did he so desperately want to?

The next time he saw the impeccably dressed man with red hair, and tear-drop tattoos on his cheeks, Axel was the customer and he was the help…


	4. Wonderland's Watcher

**Author's Note:**Sometimes 750 words a night brings out random shit that not even I can explain, though this one may have also been spurred by an early birthday gift from my loved ones.

Enjoy or don't, but please review after you read using the link below. Thanks.

**Word Count:**821

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own Alice, Wonderland, or the Cheshire Cat... so yea. *gets tired of stating the obvious, sometimes*

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><p>The colorful creature that prowled through the tree branches, looked down with large yellow eyes at the scene below him. The branch was thin, but then he could walk anywhere he liked. The air around him became thinner and thicker at his will, and he chose when and where to appear. Like the drop of a hat he could be anywhere he liked, or perhaps no where at all. The Mad Hatter always said that wasn't fair, but when had anything in life ever been fair... for anyone but him.<p>

His wide mouth spread into a sharp toothed grin as he prowled the air looking for someone. She wasn't far off, he knew, so it wouldn't be long before he found her. Silly little girl, wandering off in the dangerous wood on her own. No sense of self preservation, that one. She was just asking to be devoured by the next creature that came her way.

It wouldn't be him, of course. No, she was not at all his cup of tea. Too bony, too whiny, too... course. He would get rid of her, but not before putting the fear of... well, him into her.

Stupid child, really. And there she was now. Scared, shaky little thing in her little blue dress. She should have listened to her parents and her teachers when they told her not to wander off, to stay in their sight at all times, and to stay away from places like these. There just behind her was only one of many creatures who could devour her at will, in one swallow, leaving nothing but her blood and perhaps a shoe behind. It had to be now or never, unfortunately.

He decended. It was a fast sort of thing, like dropping from the top of a tall structure without any resistence to slow him down. That didn't matter, for he would never fall all the way down. That would be irresponsible; causing his own death like that. No, instead, he simply dropped towards the ground, pausing his fall just above the silly, stupid child's head.

"Hellooooo," he said, grinning widely again as she screamed. If ever there was any fun in life, this was it.

She tried to scurry away from him, an automatic gesture of her fright. For someone who claimed to be so thoughtful and bright, this child really was quite stupid, he thought. Here he was, trying to help her, and she was running from him.

"I wouldn't go that way, if I were you," he went on, tilting his head to the side a little, the air around him giving way just enough to let his body fall that direction, as well.

"Wh-what," she asked, pausing in her attempted get-away to look about her frantically. "Why not?"

"I just wouldn't," he continued. Honestly, these humans could be something else, sometimes. Why not, indeed! Didn't they just heed warnings, anymore?

"What about this way," she inquired, aiming one of her fingers in another direction.

"That way," he verified, turning his body to face the direction she was asking about. "I wouldn't go that way if I were you, either. Then again, I don't know for sure, do I, because I'm not you. And you're not me. We're not eachother, so how would we know what we would or would not do in one another's shoes?"

She stared at him with her mouth slightly agape, and he found himself resisting the urge to send her to her death then and there just to be rid of the pathetic creature.

"Are you mad," she finally managed after a few loud swallows.

"Am I," he asked her in return. "Are you?"

"Do you answer all questions asked of you with a question, then," she shot back, giving him a slight illusion that this might just be a game. Well, that was better.

"Do you," he sent back. Well, it was only fair that she get a taste of her own medicine, when she was doing exactly the same thing.

"I- well, no. No, not usually," she finally answered.

"Is that so," he responded, tilting his body in the other direction; the better to look at her by.

"I think so," she replied.

He didn't answer this time, instead choosing to wait and see what else she would say. If it was interesting, he would send her on her way, safely, and if not... a well deserved death waited around the corner for her. All he really had to do was wait for it to catch up with her.

A moment of silence heavily upon the air, and all too soon it began to pass. It seemed the young human was incapable of tolerating it for very long, because it was she who broke it with an inhalation of breath and the opening of a tiny pink mouth.

He simply waited, wondering what she would have to say next...


	5. On A Train Heading To Nowhere

Carrying his briefcase at his side, Axel boarded the train like he did every evening. He was late, but surely that had to do with the fact that he'd been drinking at the bar until late, which was also why his head was feeling a little fuzzy just then. It'd been a while since he had returned home at such a late hour, and his wife would probably be angry with him; not that he cared. He'd been thinking about getting a divorce anyways. It was just that, well those things were so taboo nowadays. No one seemed to want to entertain the idea for long the way he did.

Then again if he left her, he'd lose the perfect cover for the things he did in secret in hotel rooms when he thought he could get away with it. Axel had known early on that he couldn't be who he was in public; they'd arrest him or he'd lose his job or worse…

So his real sex life was a secret, and his wife… well, she was always complaining that he didn't touch her enough, or that he was too affectionate. He was convinced that she didn't know what she wanted, and that he was trapped with her because he did and was being punished for it.

The train pulled into an unannounced station that Axel didn't recognize when he looked out the window. It sent a jolt down his spine, and he sat up straighter. Where was he? Had he gotten on the wrong train? Then… would it really matter if he had?

Maybe life would be better if he found himself in a new town all of a sudden, and had to find a new way to live and make a name for himself. He should have emptied his bank account before he left, but he could work around that somehow. No, Axel should stay on this train, and see where it was going. Would they allow that? The conductor hadn't been around to check his ticket yet. Suppose they kicked him off at the next station.

Then a voice beside him made Axel jump out of his skin, his head jerking around to see who was addressing him.

"Is this seat ta- oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Beside him stood one of the most beautiful men he had ever seen. He was shorter than Axel, something easy to tell even with this guy standing and him sitting down. The man had blond hair and striking blue eyes that made him wonder if he might have accidentally discovered an angel on this train. _Oh, stop thinking stupid, and talk to him already. _

"No, it's fine," he said, managing not to sound like the tongue-tangled mess he felt. "This seat's free, sure."

"Swell! Thanks."

"Sure thing." Idiot, Axel chided himself, but he was still grinning like an idiot.

The blond wasn't done with him though, because he leaned forward looking Axel over in a way that he could easily mistake for interest, which the red head was sure he was just imagining. It was then that a hand shot out between them. "I'm Roxas," the beautiful man said as he held his hand towards Axel.

"Uh, Axel," he offered, gripping Roxas's hand as though it was no big deal. Just a normal introduction between normal men, both dressed for a day of work. That wasn't a jolt of electricity that had just passed from the blond's hand into his own, and the shiver going down his spine was something that happened every time he shook a new guy's hand. Well, he could pretend.

"Pleasure, I'm sure," Roxas added with a smirk that made Axel's heart race.

Who did this guy think he was? No, **where** did he think he was? Unless you were sure, and a guy would have to be in this day and age, you did not just go flirting with strangers of the same gender like that. Right? It didn't matter that Axel's cheeks were burning, or that his eyes couldn't stop flitting up and down to steal glances of those perfect features across from him: great jaw-line, toned arm he could see outlined beneath a white dress-shirt, no fat hanging over the side of those tailored pants. And you didn't go around obviously checking guys out the way this guy seemed to so obviously be checking him out.

God, it was too good to be true. Axel had to be imagining all of this.

"So, where you headed," Axel finally asked him, trying to shove the breathlessness back down his throat.

"Oh, you know," Roxas answered, eyes glinting, "wherever this train is going. I'm thinking of getting off at the last stop if they don't kick me off first." _No way_. "You?"

"S-same, actually," he said, trying not to sound like some stalker he continued recklessly on. "I mean, I was just th-thinking the same thing myself when you, you know…" Having trouble with the actual words, the red head waved in the general direction of the air beside him, trying to indicate the place Roxas had been standing when he'd first spoken to Axel.

Thankfully, Roxas nodded as though he understood the red head's strange sign language just fine. "Then, we're both headed to the same place? Good," he said, those blue eyes betraying even more of that intoxicating possibility that there was… interest.

He didn't trust his voice or body just then, so Axel let his head bob up and down giving a positive reaction without actually speaking, the whole time wondering what this guy thought he was doing. You couldn't go around just acting interested in other men, that was how people got arrested, or, well… worse. The smile the blond gave him though was inviting, and it made him finally start releasing some of his misgivings about this whole situation.

What was the worst that could happen? If it all went wrong, he could just get up and go to another train car, get off at the next station, and never see this guy again. Right? Maybe, just maybe, he could actually show a little bit of interest in return.

Roxas beat him to it, though. As Axel tried to think of some way to return the interest he might be imagining from the other passenger, the blond leaned forward. "I was thinking of grabbing a drink in the food car. Care to join me," he asked, then, unbelievably, one of those blue eyes closed in a playful wink that made Axel's eyes widen in surprise.

Standing, more to let himself catch his breath than anything else, the red head offered his new acquaintance a hand up. "I would be honored," he answered.

The blond's answering smile made Axel's heart thud in his chest, increasing its pace until it began to sound as though it was trying to jump through his ribs. Luckily, he was behind Roxas as they made their way through the different train cars, into the third one back from where they had been sitting.

He had never been in the food compartment before, so it was a surprise for Axel to see a classy mahogany bar and a shelf behind it lined with all manner of drinks, fine liquor included. Damn, he could have done his drinking on the train before heading home to his wife all these years, and he never would have been late a night in his life. Of course, that would also mean that she would be able to smell the alcohol on his breath when he returned, and possibly the other men.

"Welcome, gentlemen," greeted the bartender. "What'll it be tonight?"

Axel waited for Roxas to order first, and then indicated he'd like two of those and that he'd be covering both of their tabs. The bartender nodded and turned to mix the drinks, while blue eyes found his in the semi-dark lightning and widened, indicating Roxas's surprise at having found this little treasure at the back of the train. Well, it was nice to know that he wasn't the only one who'd never realized just how nice the train's food car was.

The bartender turned, sliding both men's drinks towards them on the bar, adding, "here you are, gentlemen, compliments of the house, or rather, the train."

"Oh," said a surprised Axel, who had already reached to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. Sliding it back in, he caught blue eyes looking at him in a knowing way that made him blush, as they both reached for their drinks and looked for a quiet table near one of the train's windows.

"You sneak," Roxas teased him, speaking quietly so only Axel could hear him. "Were you going to go behind my back and pay for my drink before I could even ask the cost? Gentlemanly thing of you to do, but only for someone you like… am I right?"

Not in all the years that Axel had been going to bars, secretly trying to figure out which men were there to take a load off from their jobs and which ones were like him, had anyone ever so blatantly called him on doing that. After so discreetly checking out those who looked at him more than just once or twice, and stealing furtive glances at them while he tried to decide if what they showed was interest or something else entirely, it scared him to have his motives put so plainly into words like that.

"I, uh…" he began, but Roxas cut him off.

"I'm flattered," the blond responded, that playful tone turning into something a little more seductive. "You can buy me a drink at our destination. That is… if you still want to by then."

For a second time, Roxas winked at him, and Axel found himself becoming intoxicated. He hadn't even had one drink of his wine yet, but the fuzziness in his head from earlier was starting to intensify as he drank in every teasing glance from those blue eyes and every playful movement of the blond's pink lips. He wanted to know what they tasted like, and was becoming surprisingly impatient for the chase to be over.

Just as he leaned in closer across the table, though, instinct overpowering his innate need to be careful, the door behind them opened indicating someone new entering the food compartment. Quite suddenly, Axel's back was against his chair again, head whipping around to see who it was, and kicking himself. He'd forgotten about the bartender, or the possibility of other eyes that might see them together.

Head reeling, Axel was still trying to figure out when he'd become so careless as the conductor approached them. "Tickets," a genial voice asked, and both Roxas and Axel looked at one another.

Glancing down, Axel realized he'd left his briefcase on the seat beside his in the other car, which he'd never done before in his life. "I, uh…"

But, again, Roxas cut him off. "We left them by our seats," he supplied as he moved to stand.

Axel nodded, adding, "If the drinks are allowed, we can go back and get them for you."

The conductor gave him a strange look but nodded, adding, "Why don't I just come with you?"

~0-0~0-0~0-0~

The red head was practically kicking himself as he led the way, Roxas immediately behind him and the conductor following at the back. It must've seemed like they were hitching a ride, or the man wouldn't be acting so suspicious, right? Then there was that little nagging worry that he would just get thrown off at the next station, since he didn't recognize the previous stop, and he was sure that the ticket he held was to another destination entirely. Would the blond come with him if they threw Axel off of the train, or would he just watch as the red head was humiliated?

As if sensing the turmoil bubbling beneath the surface, one of the blond's hands found his as they neared their seats causing Axel to jump. He kept walking mechanically as he looked down to see another, slightly softer male hand holding onto his, and, though he was quite pleased, the panic that settled into his chest at the idea of the conductor seeing that little blatant display of affection made his breath come a little faster.

He was all too eager to release Roxas's hand when they got to their seats, not because he actually wanted to let go, but because he wanted to get ahold of his damn train ticket and get this over with as soon as freaking possible. Nerves frazzled and head buzzing combined in an odd way that made him feel like nothing around him was really fixed.

Then before he even realized his hands had entered his own briefcase, the conductor was taking Axel's ticket out of his hands and scanning over it. He grimaced slightly, but handed it back to the red head without a word, before taking Roxas's from him. _Why had the man made that face_, Axel wondered, looking down at his ticket again and, as a result, missing the exchange that happened between the blond and the train conductor.

"All set, then," the conductor added, and Axel looked up in time to see him handing the blond's ticket back to him with a sympathetic smile. "Looks like you're both getting off at the next stop. Make yourselves comfortable; I'll come back to get you when it's time."

With that, he turned and walked back the way they had come, leaving Axel standing bewildered beside Roxas. They were both getting off at the next stop? What did that mean? Were they both carrying tickets for other locations, and would be kicked off at the next station? He looked at his ticket again. It was strange how whenever he did that his eyes seemed to slide over it without really taking any of it in. All that his green eyes could really pick up from it was that it looked… peculiar for a train ticket.

It was a moment before he realized that Roxas had guided him back to a seated position, and was leaning gently against his arm. He turned to meet a curious, blue eyed gaze that looked up at him with what seemed like a little bit of pity. Why?

"So," the blond began voice sultry and low, "you still want to buy me that drink at the next stop?"

"What," Axel asked, his mind still trying to work out the mystery of the ticket. "Oh. Oh… well, wait." Then he focused on Roxas for the first time since they'd sat down, turning to take him in and really look at him now. "Why do you want to get a drink with me," he finally asked, voicing a part of the concern that was plaguing his mind.

The blond smirked, leaning in close to him and answered, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Well, no," Axel tried to explain. "That's the thing. It is obvious, but… why is it obvious? Where are you from, anyways? Maybe it's different where you come from, but guys where I come from don't just start… you know, flirting with guys they don't know. You get hurt that way, you could get… killed… arrested… doing stuff like that. But you just…"

Roxas just looked at him, blue eyes softening into a sad expression, pitying him again.

"What," Axel snapped before he thought about what he was saying or doing.

"You don't know yet," Roxas said, placing a gentle hand against the skin of Axel's cheek.

It made Axel forget about his distress for a moment as he leaned into that hand, wondering at how something that felt so cold could make his body feel so warm. He remembered then how badly he had wanted to lean across that table and taste those slightly pouty, pink lips, but it was Roxas who pulled away this time, reaching for something. When he settled back into the seat beside Axel, he held up a red strip of paper with black writing on it for the red head to look at.

"What do you see when you look at this," he asked.

Axel frowned, eyebrows pulling together as he looked at it. "A train ticket," he answered, bewildered at why the blond would ask him such a blatantly obvious question.

"What about the destination?"

Green eyes flicked up to meet blue ones, before really looking at the ticket again, eyes focusing harder than before to answer a question that should have been much easier than it seemed at that moment. After a long minute, his eyes widened as he looked back up at Roxas. "The town we're getting off at is called 'Heaven'? That's… well, it's actually… really?" Roxas nodded, and the grin that broke out on Axel's face was a silly one that he would've repressed in any other situation. "Good," he said, "because my last place of residence was definitely hell. I could use a town like Heaven to start over in."

Blue eyes softened again as Roxas smiled and shook his head, but he did lean forward, so close that Axel could feel the blond's breath on his face as he responded. "You want someone to start over with in Heaven, or do you prefer to do that on your own?"

Axel felt as though he should be feeling his heart pounding in his chest right about then, but the residual nerves were still there even if his body seemed to have forgotten how to respond to them. His answer was a softly breathed, "Yes." And he'd barely gotten the word out before soft hands were taking his forgotten wine glass from him, setting the inconvenient things somewhere his green eyes didn't see because they were looking at a sudden fire that had been lit behind clear blue eyes. Then those soft hands had linked themselves in his, and the blond was so close to him, leaning forward until those gorgeous lips were brushing against his ear.

"Good," he said, "I was hoping you would."

Roxas pulled back from him slightly then, blue eyes searching green ones for something before…

Unexpectedly the train's horn went off louder than Axel had ever heard it before, causing them both to jump back in surprise. The train began to slow, and the sound of the door at the end of the car opening again caused both heads to turn as the conductor made his way towards them.

"Alright, gentlemen," he said, tone brighter than it had seemed when they'd first encountered the man. "This is your destination. Please, gather your belongings, and come with me."

Roxas was the first to rise, and it was the first time that Axel noticed that the blond had no luggage with him. Not that it mattered much since he only had his briefcase, but what were the chances of two guys who were heading home from a day of work, who happened to have similar…interests, getting on the same train with tickets to the same destination? This was beginning to seem too good to be true, which made the red head tense.

"So, uh," he began as he grabbed his own briefcase. "Is this place really called Heaven?"

The conductor nodded, giving Roxas a strange look before turning to lead both men to the exit. Feeling a bit bolder now, as though he was drunk, Axel went on recklessly. "What's the next destination called, Hell?"

"Quite," said the conductor, no humor in his tone at all as he continued to lead them forward.

Axel just stared at the back of his head, feet following him mechanically as he asked a question that had been bothering him ever since first encountering this man. "So, if we wanted to go to this Hell town, could we? If we hurried to purchase the tickets, that is."

The man actually paused to turn around and look at him then, completely ignoring Roxas as he leveled a dark look at Axel. "You could, sir, but this is your destination. I suggest you disembark at this station."

A blaring horn sounded then, and Axel felt as though it had somehow blown through his body, rattling his very bones. He closed his eyes against the noise, barely conscious of the hand that grabbed hold of his and tugged him forward as the sound slowly died away. Axel didn't hear the question leave his mouth, but the conductor snapped an answer to it anyways.

"That was the warning whistle. You have only a few moments left before the train leaves the station. I suggest you step quickly, gentlemen. You won't enjoy the next stop as much as this one. This one was designed for you, after all."

What on earth did that mean? Axel's thoughts were racing a mile a minute, but his feet followed wherever Roxas wanted to lead him almost mechanically, until after walking for what seemed like forever, they finally reached the train's exit. Axel didn't remember having walked that far to get to his seat the first time. What the hell was going on? Had he really been that drunk before?

Then again, he didn't remember walking to get to his seat that first time at all. He'd just… been sitting there. That didn't seem right. Why couldn't he remember what happened before that? Could he really have had so much alcohol that he forgot getting onto the train, Axel wondered. It was possible considering he'd gotten on the wrong one, but still. He'd never been drunk enough to forget an entire night in his life.

Then, just like that, they were standing at the door, both Roxas and Axel looking out at their destination, and everything seemed to just stop. It wasn't the place that made him freeze because Axel didn't recognize it at all, and it wasn't that he disliked what he saw because it looked just like any city he hadn't been to anywhere except in his imagination. What made him freeze, like time had suddenly removed her ticking arms from around his body, was that there on the other side of the train tracks were two men kissing one another in public no one around them even looking at them twice.

Axel didn't realize his mouth was open until a gentle hand pressed his chin up. Glancing down, he saw Roxas staring at him, a secretive smile on those gorgeous lips. "This is our destination," he reminded Axel, pulling him off of the train with him just as the last warning whistle blew. "Heaven."


End file.
